Candidates Esther Colon and Bryan Morera met for the final time Thursday to describe how they would decide key issues before the April 30 runoff election to fill Council Seat 6.
It’s a been a brief campaign season. Morera, 32, an attorney, and Colon, 70, a former manager of the Town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and active volunteer in town, won first and second place respectively in the April 9 special election.
The winner of next Tuesday’s race will serve until Nov. 2026, and replace former Vice Mayor Carlos O. Alvarez who resigned in November.
Moderator Alex Penelas, former mayor of Miami-Dade County, addressed the candidates off the dais at tables in the Town Hall council chamber. The audience of 30 included candidates’ relatives, friends and supporters. Voters submitted questions to Penelas via email, he asked some of his own and he took audience questions, too. Questions and topics are in bold text below.
Penelas said he did not want the evening to become a debate, though Colon tried twice to question Morera.
Qualifications and Priorities
Pelenas asked how they were qualified to make financial decisions, and what they most want to accomplish.
Colon said she has received awards for budget reporting, was a finance executive or manager of municipalities and assistant director of management and finance and budget for the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
“My qualifications speak for themselves,” she said.
Morera said his experience included serving as president and vice president on the Satori homeowner’s association board of directors and overseeing its “$1 million-plus budget” as well as running finances for his own law firm.
“There is no one to bail you out when you own a business,” he said. “If you spend more than you take in you go bankrupt, it’s that simple.”
His priorities include whether the town should have its own police force. “There is no point in having a beautiful town with tree lined streets if we’re not safe,” he said. “… At the moment, our police department is currently understaffed.”
He also listed blasting as a cause.
“This town council needs to advocate on behalf of its residents when it comes to the blasting issue. It needs to get louder, it needs to get stronger, it needs to start being unafraid to do what’s necessary…” he said.
Colon’s priorities are “No more taxes, no additional franchise or utility fees. My second priority is holding management accountable. I don’t like to see a $400,000 expenditure on the consent agenda when the current council just blank approves it without any questions, without any change orders, without any inquiries. …The third issue is working together to see if we can begin the zero-budget process with the residents of Miami Lakes. We have to stop unnecessary spending.”
Penelas said Morera cited the demands of his business before he resigned from the Blasting Advisory Board and asked if he would have time to serve on the council.
Morera said he has hired employees.
“As soon as I got my time back, I put it where I like to put it, which is community service, helping our residents, being of use to my overall community,” Morera said. “… I want to represent you up there and I want to get results for you.”
Colon’s departure from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Penelas, citing reporting by the Sun Sentinel, asked Colon about being fired in April 2010 while town manager of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and whether that contradicted her claim to be qualified to serve on the council. He also asked about a rapid direct deposit severance payment to her, and her repayment of some of that money back to the municipality.
The town sued Colon to get back $43,250 in excess sick leave that she received, the newspaper reported. The interim manager who processed her severance was also fired.
“They did not give me the opportunity to resign,” Colon said. “…The reason my services were terminated ... is I was given an order for selective enforcement … I will not and would not abide an unlawful order. ... nor would my staff. When the attorney told the town council they could not give me an unlawful order, that severed all relationships with the town council.”
As for leaving that job, Colon said she filed paperwork to retire “before my actual termination of my services. …The $43,000 was my sick leave pay. …Under my attorney’s advisement we agreed upon an amount to return. I preferred to return [the money] rather than incur legal fees and upset my residents.”
Voter Apathy
Penelas challenged Morera’s claim of having momentum in his campaign when he only earned 620 votes and just 10.5% registered voters cast ballots in the special election.
“What’s wrong here when so few people are turning out to vote, and is that really momentum?” Penelas said.
Morera said he has had “extremely positive feedback” from residents but that they are “apathetic about what is going on in the dais right now.”
He said voters need to see results rather than promises that are not kept.
According to him, unaddressed issues include broken street lights, trees too close to a home, potholes, “things we’re put on this dais to actually solve.”
On Friday morning, the county elections department reported 1,036 mail-in ballots were received, reflecting a 5.17% turnout so far for the runoff.
Penelas asked Colon why so few people were interested in voting for either candidate.
“If people feel they are being disenfranchised it’s sad because that’s a message the town council sends,” Colon said. “I’m trying to get the vote out through as many people I know.”
Serving all residents, versus just their own neighborhoods
An audience member asked Morera if he would represent the entire town and not just his neighborhood. She described his efforts to discourage Mount Sinai from building a hospital in the property next to his HOA and said residents in other parts of town could have used a hospital.
Morera said he was representing 482 property owners during that fight, not just his own interests.
“Mount Sinai chose a location with such an extreme design where it would have not only paralyzed traffic in west Miami Lakes but it would have placed a helipad 90 feet away from a person’s backyard,” Morera said. “This was an issue about common decency. Those people wouldn’t have been able to have backyard furniture without it being blown away by helicopter wind.”
Colon said all 33,000 residents of Miami Lakes have to be considered when weighing the impact of a project.
“If it is an issue that is very detrimental like the Optimist Park that appears to be separating the east from the west … I think it should be a ballot question. … I personally would love to have a hospital near me, and I know a lot of seniors would like to have a hospital,” she said. “I hope that maybe someday we do see the Graham senior and assisted living facility.”
Traffic and Development
Penelas asked a question from a resident that he said was not his: “Who is going to stop The Graham Companies from continuing to overbuild this community with zero infrastructure?”
Colon said, “Stop development. I think I’ve mentioned that before and I’ll say it again.”
She also questioned a more than $10 million cost for the Northwest 59th Avenue bridge and road project.
“What study was done?” Colon said. “If the town council does not make traffic a priority in this town, we have an issue.”
Morera said, “When it comes to the question, ‘Who is going to stop the Grahams from overdeveloping the town?’, if your answer is stop development and nothing further, that is a recipe to get sued. People own private property, they have a right to use that property in accordance with the county and in this case the municipal zoning code.
“The issue you have and it’s why I made a comprehensive review of our zoning and planning an issue in this campaign, is take one issue here,” Morera said. “You have the golf course where they’re currently building out this multi-use facility with [278 apartments], retail underneath and a 250-capacity banquet hall and people are complaining about that.
“But yet, the Grahams will tell you that they have the right to build up to like 900-something [apartments] according to zoning ordinances and according to what they are entitled to by the way, without a hearing, without the vote of the residents,” he said. “They generously will tell you, reduced it and will only build [278].
“If the zoning code allows for the building of that many units, then there is something wrong with the zoning code,” he said. “We need to make sure that our zoning code actually reflects the fact that this town is extremely overcrowded.”
As for traffic, he said additional entrances and exits are needed. Morera wants to extend Northwest 170th Street westward to Florida’s Turnpike to keep that traffic on the west side of Interstate 75 and aid traffic flow.
Plane traffic and elevated noise pollution
Morera said today’s private jets are noisier than what flew over town in the past. He said he’d find the rule-making power to negotiate.
Colon said it was an issue to be addressed with leaders in all levels of government to collaborate on a solution.
Code enforcement, illegal dumping and HOA violations
“We need to hold management accountable,” Colon said. “We’re not holding management accountable. … I walk this town, I bike in this town and I believe there is selective enforcement in this town. … HOAs need to be held accountable and the town needs to actually cite them when necessary. … I think it’s lack of management from the town manager down.”
Morera said he didn’t know if enforcement of codes on eyesores such as broken fences and lack of maintenance and other problems are because of a lack of resources, “but I do know it’s an issue of being reactive rather than proactive. People give me countless complaints on code enforcement and nothing being done until they get so angry they blow up the phone of the poor receptionist at town hall and until someone picks up the phone, say they’ll stay on the phone until someone shows up to do their job.”
Morera said he agreed with Colon and has also noticed selective enforcement.
“Many residents in the West Lakes area … have lodged a significant amount of complaints as to too heavy-handed code compliance, whereas in other areas in town there is no enforcement and people can get away with just about anything. You go to Crooked Palm, someone, it looks like all the contents of their home are outside and the town is doing nothing about it.”
Former council candidate John Rogger asked about people who pave over their front yards and make other illegal modifications without consequence.
Morera said, “If someone is concreting their entire front yard that goes against everything about being Miami Lakers. People have to understand it hurts all of our property values. You can do what you want to your property sure but zoning is there for a reason. … At the end of the day to have your biggest investment reduced because of the actions of your neighbor…
Colon said the town approved some of the concrete front yards but there has to be space for water to be absorbed rather than creating a flooding conditions.
She criticized the $1.2 million bike lanes proposed for Fairway Drive. “The first thing I said was more concrete.”
How to deal with an increase in the homeless population in Miami Lakes?
“Humanely and in the most respectful and dignified way possible,” Morera said. “They need to be relocated to a place outside of our town. It does obviously decrease property values, it does cause a safety concern and causes a health concern in many instances so that is something that frankly should not be allowed in our town. They should be relocated where they can safely be.”
Colon said, “I believe we had two issues where Camillus House tried to help them, and they made their way back to Miami Lakes. You can’t take an individual from a park bench to Hialeah. … We just need to work as a town and provide a service and help them out.”
Should the town create its own police department?
“There’s a higher likelihood than not that it is going to be cost prohibitive and the answer will be no. But until you have the costs in front of you … what are the short-term costs, medium savings and what are the long term savings?” Morera said. “I’m willing to pay a little bit more to get much better service. … It’ll likely be no, but I’m not shutting the door on it.”
Colon said a study found it was too expensive.
“One hundred percent of your property taxes currently go to fund a portion of the police department,” she said. “We use the $9 million of your property taxes and then we have to dig into $1.2 million of franchise fees to be able to pay for your police department. We do not have the infrastructure. Do you know what it costs to get a building, vehicles, training, specialized divisions? We cannot at this time match Miami-Dade County.”
She said the town should not take on debt to have its own force.
How should the budget surplus be spent?
Morera said he agreed with a tentative plan to keep tax exemptions for seniors. He also thought decorative streetlights on Northwest 154th Street were weaker and too expensive and were a want, not a need. As for who should pay to clean beneath the Palmetto Expressway underpass at Northwest 67th Avenue he said that FDOT should pay for it.
Penelas asked Colon if a $150,000 police study should go forward and she said she opposed it, as well as pickle ball courts at Barbara Goleman Senior High or basketball resurfacing at parks or schools the town doesn’t own. She agreed the senior tax exemption should continue. She also thinks the surpluses come from inflated budgets.
Was the property tax rollback rate the right decision by the council?
“With property values going up you should be able to go to the rollback rate at all times like in this year,” Colon said.
Is the rollback rate a politically convenient decision and what services are being sacrificed to do it?
“In times like these, elected officials have a fiduciary duty to residents to keep the burden of government as low as possible. I do think however it’s naïve to say go rollback forever, year after year. It’s just not doable,” Morera said. “… Did expenses stay the same? Has every single thing you buy risen in price? Yes it has. You’re planning to fail if you say you’re going to do the rollback every year.”
How should municipal projects such as Optimist Park be funded? Will you vote to borrow money without voter approval?
Colon said, “I’m not going to disenfranchise voters. I will not approve any financing for any property not owned by the town. … We are $25 million in debt. When is it gonna stop?”
Penelas said Morera was for the Optimist Park bond proposal before he was against it. Morera said as plans for improvements began to go up in price, he thought it was too expensive and if it was funded 100% by Miami Lakers, he was against that.
He proposed leasing the light towers to cell companies, creative naming rights such as the scoreboard with an Ocean Bank sign, leasing the dock to a private company to rent paddle boats, stand up surf boards and fishing rods. He also suggested engraved bricks with donor names for walkways.
“The main idea is to not simply go diving into the pocket of the taxpayer but find alternative sources of revenues,” he said.
Division on the Council and campaign contributions
“I would probably be one of the most prepared elected leaders, I have no problem sitting with the town manager, sit with department heads with the approval of the town manager and sit with elected officials and maybe educate them,” Colon said.
Penelas asked about the council seeming to be divided, with some members aligned with Mayor Manny Cid and others siding with Councilman Josh Dieguez, who is running to replace Cid.
He also said Morera reported raising $28,600, a lot of money for a small council race.
Morera said the donations came from his professional relationships built over the years.
Colon has raised $11,500, $4,000 of which was her own money. Penelas asked if she had a legitimate shot at winning.
“We receive five notices a week from Mr. Morera, he knocks on our door, the emails…what do you tell voters who say she has no shot?” Penelas said.
Colon said she wouldn’t accept money from senior citizens and that she was doing a grass roots campaign in a town built by a civic association.
“If you’re really a Miami Laker, it’s not about raising $20, $30,000,” she said. “It’s trying to be genuine, really do what you know is in the best interest of this town.”
Both candidates said they’ve lost weight because they’ve walked so much and knocked on so many doors.
Penelas asked about a group called Concerned Residents of Miami Lakes that he was unable to contact or find a registration for. It sent a text that said, ‘Miami Lakes can’t afford a radical woke commissioner with the cost of food, insurance and gas at all time highs. Miami Lakes needs a commissioner that takes action and not make excuses. April 30th, vote Bryan Morera and block the woke agenda from entering our small town.’ Do you know who these people are?”
“I wish,” Morera said. “There is no scenario a text like that would benefit me.”
He said he didn’t draft it, doesn’t know who was involved and didn’t authorize it. He also said he didn’t agree with its message.
Penelas challenged him for not denouncing it.
“I disagree with the tone but I agree with it in substance: We can’t afford to someone who is trying to bring issues that divide this town,” Morera said. Colon has supported flying a Pride flag in town.
Morera also said Colon’s campaign text warning that the council was losing a female voice on the council, when Councilwoman Marilyn Ruano’s term ends in November, was making gender an issue in the race. Morera said any woman would become to run and join the council in November.
Colon said she did not consider herself to be a radical woke candidate. But she said earlier definitions of woke were to be a well-informed individual and aware of social problems such as inequality, which she was proud to be.
Who are you supporting for mayor in November, Josh Dieguez or Tony Fernandez?
“That is not a topic that affects me right now as a candidate for this race so I prefer not to answer,” Colon said.
Morera said they are both strong candidates. “In my opinion the better candidate for the job is Joshua Dieguez. He has a very pragmatic approach, has a tendancy to look at the issues from numerous angles and dive into the nuance and minutia and the details.”
How has the late Bob Graham inspired you? Anything from his example that you would use on the dais?
“I never had the distinguished pleasure of meeting him in person,” Morera said. “However his impact has been felt time and again and is still felt to this day. He was a champion of pragmatism. A man who put partisanship and the ugliness of politics, at the high levels he was in, to the side and thought about what the people did. He set a positive example for us who aspire to be future leaders in our community. … I think we can all learn a little bit from him. … He was someone who willing to get his hands dirty and help the community himself.”
Colon offered her condolences to the Graham family and said she shared photos on Facebook of herself with the senator.
“I have learned that you have to serve the people regardless of who they are,” Colon said. “I learned a lot through service work with him. I’m here because I believe in service. I’m a unique individual, this is who I am. And he was the same way. He actually advocated for everybody. And that’s how I intend to continue to do and how I’ve always lived my life.”
Election Day is Tuesday, April 30. Seven polling stations will be open in town from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find your precinct go to: https://bit.ly/30n7O5s